Various wireless auditory devices, such as hearing aids, contain analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters to assist in the digital processing of analog audio signals. Specifically, the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is used to convert an analog audio signal (captured via a microphone) to a digital signal for processing. The digital-to-analog converter (DAC) is subsequently used to convert the processed digital signal to analog form for output to the eardrum.
Converter designs typically aim to achieve a wide dynamic range so that it is the microphone, and not the converter, that causes the majority of audio noise. Low power consumption is also desirable, since auditory devices are usually small and thus cannot house bulky power sources. Further, the designs attempt to minimize the number and size of off-chip components, since such off-chip components occupy valuable space in the auditory device. Currently, no auditory device achieves a satisfactory nexus of these considerations.